Day 47 @ 20Mg - Still Early Days? Still Normal Side Effects?

[Victory2016]

Hi Guys,

I just need some reassurance today. As I am having a bad day. Do all these symptoms seem normal for the time frame I am at? Day 47 @ 20mg. Still early days? I just want to feel no anxiety.

Heart Palpitation/Pounding
Shaky all the time
Nervous
Knot in Stomach
Feeling in chest that I can't explain
Restless
Muscle Tension - I feel myself tensing up and try to relax my body
Starving & Sick to stomach at same time. I eat, but never feel full or satisfied
Crying Spells - Although they have gotten shorter in length

Thanks!!! Hope everyone else is getting along well in the journey!

[mrose]

If you see no improvement yet it could be a sign that the dose might be too low for you.

Maybe you need to talk with your psych/doc to up your dose to 30mg.

[Victory2016]

If you see no improvement yet it could be a sign that the dose might be too low for you.

Maybe you need to talk with your psych/doc to up your dose to 30mg.

I am seeing improvement. The symptoms listed I still have but seem to be less intense. I am just feeling inpatient today and want them gone. I don't want to make any change until I hit 12 weeks. Everyone seems to say by 3 months they felt good. Hopefully these side effects/symptoms will keep subsiding.

How are you doing on the 30mg? Didn't you just increase?
Thanks for the reply!!!

[Justanutter]

Hi Victory, I am on 20mg now. Was on 10mg for 5 weeks, now 3 at 20mg. I have awful shakes and jelly wobbly legs, especially when I first get out of bed and try walking down the stairs. Usually gets a it better later on in the day but this week it isn't. I was trying to pay for something earlier and I could hardly get the money out of my purse for shaking so much. Trouble is, I also came off Betablockers that I was on for 20 odd years to go back on the Citalopram (had a break off them for a year), so not sure if it the withdrawals from them or the Citalopram. I never had side affects from Citalopram before but that was when I was taking them with the Betablockers. Now I don't know what to do. I met someone with similar shakes but just in her hands and she was told they were 'benign essential tremors' from stopping her Betablockers but I'm frightened now that I will always have them. They are worrying me now as I feel like my system has been ruined. Just want the Citalopram to work properly like they did. My anxiety is awful.

[Victory2016]

Hi Victory, I am on 20mg now. Was on 10mg for 5 weeks, now 3 at 20mg. I have awful shakes and jelly wobbly legs, especially when I first get out of bed and try walking down the stairs. Usually gets a it better later on in the day but this week it isn't. I was trying to pay for something earlier and I could hardly get the money out of my purse for shaking so much. Trouble is, I also came off Betablockers that I was on for 20 odd years to go back on the Citalopram (had a break off them for a year), so not sure if it the withdrawals from them or the Citalopram. I never had side affects from Citalopram before but that was when I was taking them with the Betablockers. Now I don't know what to do. I met someone with similar shakes but just in her hands and she was told they were 'benign essential tremors' from stopping her Betablockers but I'm frightened now that I will always have them. They are worrying me now as I feel like my system has been ruined. Just want the Citalopram to work properly like they did. My anxiety is awful.

Sorry to hear what you are going through. I could not tolerate beta blockers, but they did work well for calming my heart down. Hope you feel better soon.

How long ago did you come off of the beta blocker? Also did you taper off or just stop. I hope you tapered esp being that you were on them for 20 years. Some doctors prescribe beta blocker to help with the start up effects when starting an anti depressant, so it may of made sense to stay on them until the citalopram kicks in. Have you been prescribed a benzo in place of the beta blocker to help with the anxiety in the mean time.

[Mojo61]

Why can't you continue taking the beta blockers alongside the citalopram? I do.

---------- Post added at 19:40 ---------- Previous post was at 19:38 ----------


Hi Guys,

I just need some reassurance today. As I am having a bad day. Do all these symptoms seem normal for the time frame I am at? Day 47 @ 20mg. Still early days? I just want to feel no anxiety.

Heart Palpitation/Pounding
Shaky all the time
Nervous
Knot in Stomach
Feeling in chest that I can't explain
Restless
Muscle Tension - I feel myself tensing up and try to relax my body
Starving & Sick to stomach at same time. I eat, but never feel full or satisfied
Crying Spells - Although they have gotten shorter in length

Thanks!!! Hope everyone else is getting along well in the journey!

Yep, I get all those still and I'm further along than you hun (and only on 10mg) Hang on in there, things will improve

[Justanutter]

Well, that's another thing, Dr said that because I was only on a very low dose of BB then I could just stop after a few days before introducing the Citalopram. I think this was a mistake and I should have weaned off slower. I had to stop the particular BB I was on because they now say there are contraindications with it with Citalopram, mainly at larger doses, so I did what GP said although I was worried about stopping them as I took them for a fast heart rate and anxiety mainly. Dr said if I have an ECG next week and it's ok, I can go back on them but then I will be worrying about my heart and I already have HA around that!

I was given some diazepam but I can't keep taking them as that will cause another problem so I try and limit them to emergencies. Does help the shaking, trembling though.

[Victory2016]

Why can't you continue taking the beta blockers alongside the citalopram? I do.

---------- Post added at 19:40 ---------- Previous post was at 19:38 ----------



Yep, I get all those still and I'm further along than you hun (and only on 10mg) Hang on in there, things will improve

Mojo do you feel like they are less intense for you at this point?

[Mojo61]

Yes, less intense but still hanging around like a bad smell lol!

---------- Post added at 20:21 ---------- Previous post was at 20:19 ----------

Mornings are the worst. But if I give in to it and stay in bed I've found it makes it worse. Best to force myself out of my pit and after an hour or so I'm not so bad - still bad but not as bad as if I'd stayed in bed ruminating

[Victory2016]

Well, that's another thing, Dr said that because I was only on a very low dose of BB then I could just stop after a few days before introducing the Citalopram. I think this was a mistake and I should have weaned off slower. I had to stop the particular BB I was on because they now say there are contraindications with it with Citalopram, mainly at larger doses, so I did what GP said although I was worried about stopping them as I took them for a fast heart rate and anxiety mainly. Dr said if I have an ECG next week and it's ok, I can go back on them but then I will be worrying about my heart and I already have HA around that!

I was given some diazepam but I can't keep taking them as that will cause another problem so I try and limit them to emergencies. Does help the shaking, trembling though.

I agree you should have been weaned off over a couple of weeks. I never heard of any contradictions with SSRI's and Beta Blockers. A lot of people take Beta Blockers along with their SSRI'S. Don't be afraid to take the diazepam if you need it. There is no reason to suffer more then you have to. I have been taken klonopin daily for 2 years. At this point I don't care what meds I have to go on to make me feel better.

[Justanutter]

Mojo, it's sotalol and Citalopram that are contraindicated.....can cause long QT problems with heart, but I've taken them both for 20 years!! :lac:

[Mojo61]

I've been told you can't take ibuprofen with citalopram too. I wonder why?

[pollynewsome]

If it any consolation. It was the coming off the propranolol that I had been on for 4 years that kinda caused my anxiety! I found it so hard to wean off and felt dreadful. My doc tapered me off 40mg over a 6 month period. I think I was med free for 6 month before the severe anxiety kicked it but the worst part for me when getting off the propranolol was the severe shaking. It's only now gone since starting the citolapram. I did try going back on the propranolol but it didn't do anything. Hope it eases for you real soon. I was also told I could take it with citolapram.